The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has expressed its interest to partner the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to reduce energy poverty through the domestication of renewable energy solutions and to fast-track industrial development in Nigeria.
The Deputy Head, UNIDO Nigeria Office, Mr. Adekunle Olusile, who led a delegation on a visit to the NASENI Office in Abuja, sought to facilitate German companies and research institutions’ collaborations with the agency to reduce energy waste and support the present government’s food production agenda.
He said he had identified several areas of collaboration from NASENI’s presentation, while adding that “Germany is very strong in renewable sector with several of its companies who are important to such partnerships and are seeking to know Nigeria’s plan to grow its solar PV usage before 2030”.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, who was represented by the Coordinating Director, Planning and Business Development, Mrs. Nonyem Onyechi, said that the management appreciated UNIDO’s Office in Nigeria for extending hands of collaboration to the agency.
Onyechi told the visitors that NASENI had the mandate of driving Nigeria’s industrial development through technology transfer and domestication, production of capital goods to be ceded to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs generally.
In a short presentation on behalf of the agency, Deputy Director, Engineering Infrastructure, Engr. Emmanuel Ajani, explained the various interventions, programmes and projects of NASENI in the renewable, agricultural and industrial sectors, showcasing to the delegation various technological innovations, products and machineries produced by NASENI.
The UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO) Germany Team Lead, Michael Schmidt, said the organization mobilized investments and technologies for sustainable industrial development and supports investors and companies by facilitating technology transfer from Germany to developing countries and economies in transition.
According to him, the visit to NASENI is a fact-finding on areas of collaboration between German companies and the agency for socio-economic development of the country.
Specifically, Schmidt said the delegation was seeking to support the Federal Government’s food production agenda through food processing and food packaging, reduction of energy waste through biogas production and renewable energy solutions such as solar PV, solar batteries, among others.
In order to actualize the main ideas discussed during the visit, NASENI and UNIDO thereafter set up a working group or committee to drive the initiatives and also to bring all prospective partners on board.
Some of the German companies represented at the meeting held at Belanova Apartment and Suites, Abuja yesterday included Bloomhill Agroservices, (B)energy, Wilo Pumps, GEA, EMPO-NI and University Weihenstephan Triesdorf, amongst others.
Photo Caption
Front row from left: Representative of Bloomhill Agroservices, Germany, Elizabeth Ogbile; representative of (B) Energy, Germany, Katrin Puetz; S.A on Strategy to the EVC/CEO of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr. Mohammed Mahmoud; team lead, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO), Germany, Mr. Michael Schmidt; Representative of the EVC/CEO of NASENI, Coordinating Director, Planning and Business Development, Mrs. Nonyem Onyechi; Coordinating Director, Science Infrastructure, NASENI, Prof Ibrahim Umar Gaya; Director, Finance and Accounts, Mr. Jibril Haske; and the Deputy Head, UNIDO Nigeria Office, Mr. Adekunle Olusile, after a collaboration meeting between NASENI and UNIDO delegation on Monday, December 11, 2023 in Abuja
